Classroom Practice to Translate Classical Chinese Poetry

Huifang Tian

Abstract

English-Chinese (E-C) translation is part of tertiary curriculum and is generally text- or reading-based, and any course in relation to it is meant to develop the competence of reading, on a higher level, from a language comparative perspective. Chinese-English (C-E) translation is deemed by many as a productive skill, possible when the overall language competence is achieved, but little is accomplished to be developed on its own. In the classroom C-E translation is conducted to consolidate the lexical or grammatical items learned from reading texts. This study focuses on C-E translation of poetic discourse, drawing classical Chinese poetry as the research material. It underlines this literary genre as prompt to promote language learning, through detailed language comparison and analysis. The learning activities are based on discussion of poetic features and fulfilling tasks of poetic components. The process indicates a keener sense of literary works and growing awareness of poetic features which work positively toward language production and appreciation.

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